A memorial walkway, which extends under the famously relocated London Bridge, will now feature bricks honoring the service of the legendary World War II Navajo Code Talkers.
At 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 8, the Havasu Freedom Foundation will unveil 33 bricks along the walkway dedicated to the instrumental work of the code talkers; however, only 29 bricks will bear names as national historians continue to research the backgrounds of four additional military members involved in the once top-secret military program. All of the original 29 Code Talkers are deceased.
While there are statues, plaques and museums honoring code talkers in the Southwest, this is the only memorial walkway in Arizona honoring these patriotic Native Americans, according to Gary Meyers, vice president of the Havasu Freedom Foundation.
Said Terence Concannon, President/CEO of Go Lake Havasu, “It is an honor for Lake Havasu City to be able to remember the service that these men provided for our country and to have the pleasure to highlight their dedication to the hundreds of thousands of tourists that visit the London Bridge here. Their contributions were extraordinary.”
The dedication ceremony will feature Zonnie Gorman and Dr. Laura Tohe, Ph.D., both daughters of code talkers. The Havasu Freedom Foundation, Marine Corps League Detachment #757, Lake Havasu City officials and a military color guard will also recognize their service.
Zonnie Gorman is a daughter of Dr. Carl N. Gorman and she has written and spoken on the subject extensively across the country and Canada. Laura Tohe, Ph.D., daughter of Benson Tohe, is a well-known author, poet laureate of the Navajo Nation (2015-2019), and Arizona State University professor. She is author of Code Talker Stories (Rio Nuevo Publishers, 2012).
Marine Corps Navajo Code Talkers were one of America’s top-secret weapons during World War II. They relied upon the Navajo language, plus over 700 additional words used in modern warfare, to create a secret code that was never deciphered by the Japanese. They are credited with saving countless American lives and helping to secure victory in the Pacific theater.
“This is an ongoing project that will continuously add bricks to the Havasu Memorial Walkway as fundraising continues,” said Meyers.
Lake Havasu City prides itself as being one of the most patriotic cities in the nation, honoring veterans throughout the city. The Tinnell Memorial Sports Park memorializes Patrick Tinnell, a fallen soldier from Lake Havasu City (as well as Colin Sasseen, a Lake Havasu City teen who was killed skateboarding).
A London Bridge Beach Park memorial commemorates lives lost and those who served on 9/11; a Vietnam War Memorial is located in Wheeler Park; and the Havasu Memorial Walkway includes a series of bricks of the History of Freedom in America identifying 76 Moments of Freedom that are the shining moments that gave Americans their freedom. Lake Havasu City is located on the Colorado River in western Arizona and attracts 835,000 visitors per year with its London Bridge, pristine lake, friendly community, abundance of sunshine, and ideal weather. The region is also host to extensive off-road trails and undeveloped stretches of river. For more information visit golakehavasu.com
